PHOENIX — The federal government has decided on a strategy to keep the Colorado River flowing and prevent a disaster that could have seen power plants shut down and water deliveries cut off but only through 2026.
After months of negotiation and consideration, the Bureau of Reclamation released its final plan for managing the Colorado River through 2026.
Because of two good years of snowpack, and water cuts that have already been made, the bureau said water levels at Lake Mead and Lake Powell would not drop below "danger" levels.
Both lakes have been steadily decreasing for years. There was concern that they could reach levels where the power plants in each lake would stop functioning. Slightly lower than those levels, and the water would not be able to flow through the dams at all.
But while the agreement is a success, it is only in the short term. Already, the seven Western states that use Colorado River water have submitted competing proposals for what comes after 2026.
"This is all about who has to take cuts when there isn't enough water to go around," Kathryn Sorenson of ASU's Kyl Center for Water Policy said.
"We have competing proposals about how we should manage this river over the long term," Sorenson said.
In a nutshell, Sorenson said the Upper Basin states (Wyoming, Colorado, Utah and New Mexico) want the Lower Basin states (Arizona, California and Nevada) to take the majority of the cuts. Meanwhile, the Lower Basin's proposal spreads out the cuts more amongst all the states.
"I'm hopeful we're not going to go in that direction," said Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., on Wednesday.
The Interior Department has to study and hold hearings on both proposals, but time is running out. If the states can't agree on a single idea, Sorenson said, either the federal government might make the choice for them, or it could end up in court.
"It's going to be a little bit of a shared sacrifice between Upper and Lower Basin states," Kelly said.
Up to Speed
Catch up on the latest news and stories on the 12News YouTube channel. Subscribe today.